Awareness: A Partially Understood Tenet of Self Defence

Today it is hard to go to a self defence seminar without hearing about the importance of being aware. Yet when we actually get to the topic of being aware it is often either delivered as part of a five minute disclaimer that also contains details on the legalities of self defence and the importance of not going around picking fights.

Some instructors who do choose to go into detail seem to mistake paranoia for awareness. They promote an unhealthy (not to mention unrealistic) attitude of constantly being on red alert. Such teachers, of either ilk, end up producing students who have little deep appreciation of the soft skills that should be the foundation of realistic training.

Awareness is the second of Clubb Chimera Martial Arts’ five tenets. This is defined as being switched onto the here and now. The way a student conducts his or herself in the gym as they should do in life is with an alert attentiveness, a desire not to waste time but to live every second of their life. In immediate self defence terms there are some excellent sources for the study of awareness, especially when we come directly to the subject of the pre-fight.